Billy Gunn and "Road Dogg" Jesse James rose to prominence in WWE's tag team division as the New Age Outlaws, overcoming a lack of creative direction as singles competitors to become one of the most decorated and popular tandems of all-time. During the Attitude Era, they had not only proven capable of getting over on their own, they had been tapped to join the revolutionary D-Generation X faction. Whether they heels or faces, the team proved to be the elite of the elite as they feuded with the likes of Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie, the Legion of Doom and the Nation of Domination. By the time 2014 rolled around, though, the middle-aged veterans were no longer the performers they were at the height of their popularity. Sure, their catchphrases were still over and their ring entrance still garnered a strong reaction but it was clear from an in-ring perspective that they belonged nowhere near the tag titles. Or the squared circle as active competitors, at least. Their championship reign came at the expense of Cody Rhodes and Goldust, a team that had been among the most consistently great aspects of WWE programming. Then, they were put over The Shield and the Usos, two teams of young stars who should have convincingly beat the Authority-associated heels. While they finally did end up putting over Jimmy and Jey Uso to kick off that team's first championship run, the fact that they were even involved in the title scene some 16 years after their greatest success helped make them one of the top 10 worst tag teams in WWE history.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
